Apocalyptic Prepping

The 22 LR has been around for your grandpa, and maybe even your great grandpa. Conversely, the 17 HMR has been called the Gen Z of the rimfire world. It came to the scene late, but the question remains, is it an upstart fad cartridge, or is it a contender, here to challenge the small game weapon of choice for more than 100 years? Here’s our take on the matchup between the 22 LR vs the 17 HMR.

About the 17 HMR

The 17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire is one of the best rimfire wildcat cartridges created. It shoots flat and fast, making it exceptionally accurate and surprisingly powerful for a rimfire cartridge. The 17 HMR is extremely accurate and has only been growing in popularity since its release in 2002. More people are increasingly picking the 17 HMR vs the 22 LR, but is it justified?

About the 22 LR

The 22 LR was first created by by the Union Metallic Cartridge company. The first loaded it with a 40 grain bullet and were able to achieve projectile speeds of 1,095 fps from a rifle. There are lots of different types of 22 ammo available. There are pistols, rifles, shotguns, ARs, and even submachine guns all chambered in 22 LR. It’s good for small game hunting, and is very popular for teaching people how to shoot. Along with the Red Rider BB Gun, its probably the most common cartridge that young shooters get a start with. It has probably killed more squirrels than any other weapon as well.

22 LR vs 17 HMR- Ballistics and Range

The 17HMR has significantly more range than the 22. It shoots fast and flat, coming out of the barrel at 2,650 feet per second, while the 22 with high velocity ammo can only shoot 1400 feet per second. The 17 HMR ballistics vs the 22 LR are pretty stark. You could argue that in today’s world the 22 isn’t designed to be able to shoot at such long range. I concede that with sub-sonics, a 22 LR is stupid quiet and is an excellent urban pest control option, especially when paired with a suppressor. When compared apples to apples, the 17 HMR is just the fast flat shooting effective round it was designed to be. 17 HMR clearly wins this one.

Power

The 17 HMR has 245 ft-lbs muzzle energy whereas the 22 LR has 139 ft-lbs muzzle energy, even though the 22 shoots a bullet twice as heavy as the 17 HMR. The speed from the 17, shooting almost twice as fast gives it the increased energy it needs. This isn’t to say that the 22 can’t get the job done. I read a post that said a 22 has been used to take down both a grizzly and an elephant. Both sound like a really stupid thing to try, but I’d rather have a 17 HMR in my hand in either case rather than a 22 LR. Or a 338 Lapua. That sounds nice too.

Ammo Availability

I used to think that in a SHTF scenario that I would want a common caliber so I would be able to find ammo. But then there have been a couple of ammo shortages in the last 10 years and 17HMR was on the shelf, but 22 LR wasn’t. I was able to always find 22 shorts, which most 22 LR’s can shoot, though it might not cycle your semiautomatic 22’s. I can still find 17 HMR ammo at almost every gun store I go to. The cost of 22 HMR ammo vs 17 HMR ammo has changed over the years. During it was almost impossible at times to find 22 anywhere. When you did find it, supply and demand forces put the price about the same as the 17 HMR. When there isn’t a rush on ammo, 22 LR ammo has generally been about 25-50% the cost of 17 HMR ammo.

During shortages, there has been much more 17 HMR ammo available. That being said, if you include what private citizens have (not necessarily what’s for sale) there is much more 22 ammo than there is 17HMR in the world. In an apocalyptic situation, I expect it’d be easier to trade for 22 than it would be to trade for 17HMR. The 22 LR has a slight edge here.

For Hunting

For hunting purposes I prefer the 17 HMR over the 22 LR. The 17 HMR just hits harder and is more accurate. Some contend that the 17 HMR can do more meat damage, but I also know that these same people hunt small game with shotguns on occasion, which would do way more damage to a rabbit or a squirrel. Lets be honest, the meat damage won’t be that different between the two. For rabbits and squirrels you’re trying to score a headshot, and for that you need accuracy, accuracy, and more accuracy. Accuracy for hunting is king for me. The easier it is to hit your target, the easier it is to put food on the table.

This isn’t to say that the 22 LR isn’t superior in certain instances. I know many people who have taken out varmints and pests off their back porch with a 22 in a city. While we do not advocate for breaking any laws, It is nice to be able to hunt in or near an urban environment without drawing too much attention to yourself or alerting nearby game. The 22, as I mentioned above, has been used to take a lot of different wild game. That being said, this advantage isn’t enough to put the 22 over the 17 for me. The 17 HMR wins this category.

For Self Defense

Lets be honest, you’re probably not thinking about either one of these for a self defense option. I rank this low in terms of priority, but people are going to ask, and I suppose its a good thing to consider for a SHTF scenario. While I’d rather have a much bigger round for defensive purposes, I’d want a pistol in most defensive situation. There are a lot more pistols in 22 than there are in 17HMR. This may change, as the 17HMR is a relatively new caliber, but as of now, there are a lot of options in 22, and not as many in 17HMR. A 17 HMR ballistically is just better, so it’d do more harm, but I wouldn’t say that either one of these have good stopping power.

In light of the minimal stopping power, I would want to be able to put as many rounds into an aggressor as I possibly could. There are more options in that department for the 22 LR. Many of the options for a 22 handgun also are similar to bigger and better defensive handguns. one example of this is the Walther PPQ, similar to the PPK, and can hold 12 rounds. It’s also easy to conceal, which in terms of self defense is a really nice feature. We would rather use this for self defense training, and be able to send a bigger bullet at an enemy, but for the purposes of this article there are only 2 options.

The Winner- 22 LR vs 17 HMR

The 22 rifle is a classic and it isn’t going anywhere. If I had to only have one of these though, I’m picking up the 17 HMR, though its close. The 17 can do everything the 22 can do and more. The range, accuracy, and the fact that I can store almost the same amount of ammo for the space makes the difference. I feel like I say this for all my rifle comparisons, but I’m glad I really don’t have to choose between the two. Each has its place. I prefer the 22 for when I need to be quieter, especially shooting subsonic, but I prefer the 17 HMR for range and when I need to be extremely accurate. The trust I have in that performance and accuracy is what gives the 17 HMR that edge.

If you liked our article 17 HMR vs 22 LR, check out our article 22 LR vs 22 Air Rifle.

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